Chinese smartphone major Vivo has become the official sponsor for the 2018 and 2022 editions of FIFA World Cup.
Vivo has signed an agreement with International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) to sponsor the FIFA World Cup for six years, covering two tournament cycles, it said in a statement.
This means that Vivo will become the official sponsor of the 2018 FIFA World Cups in Russia and 2022 edition in Qatar. It will also sponsor the FIFA Confederations Cup 2017 and FIFA Confederations Cup 2021.
While the company did not disclose financial details, reports suggest that Vivo will pay about 60-70 million euros (about Rs 500 crore) a year to sponsor tournaments run by the international football governing body.
Vivo sponsors the Indian Premier League (cricket) and Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) in India.
According to research firm IDC, Vivo was the world's fifth-biggest seller of mobile phones, shipping 77.3 million smartphones in 2016. While it has a strong presence in Asian markets, including India, it has not yet expanded into Europe and North America.
As per the sponsorship, the Vivo logo will appear during every match on field advertising boards, event tickets, press release backdrops, and other key promotional areas, Vivo said.
Additionally, FIFA staff will use Vivo smart phones on- site.
Vivo also plans to introduce a customised FIFA World Cup phone for consumers and football fans.
"As a global sponsor of the World Cup, Vivo hopes to strongly associate itself with the football spirit and show consumers all over the world Vivo's creative, joyful, and international brand image," Vivo Senior Vice President NI Xudong said.
Football and technology are coming closer by the day, on and off the pitch, and it is a great moment to start a partnership of this nature, FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura said.
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